


close up your stomach (the desert heat might dry up your guts)

by cancerthecrabbo



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Blood and Gore, Gen, Gore, Major Character Injury, Near Death Experiences, Serious Injuries, Stranded, Whump, Whumptober, Whumptober 2018, Worry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2018-10-21
Packaged: 2019-08-05 17:17:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16371815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cancerthecrabbo/pseuds/cancerthecrabbo
Summary: For most people, ‘a bad day’ entails spilled coffee, arriving late, being stuck in traffic, maybe getting gum stuck in their hair.For MacGyver, a bad day is more along the lines of nearly getting cut in half and then getting stuck in the desert halfway to the exfil and bleeding out in the back of a stolen car.(Day 9 of Whumptober: Stranded)





	close up your stomach (the desert heat might dry up your guts)

There are a lot of things that can go wrong in a day.  For most people, a bad day entails spilled coffee, arriving late, being stuck in traffic, maybe getting gum stuck in their hair.  For MacGyver, a bad day like today includes him being stranded in the desert in a car with Jack, Bozer, and Riley.  Ordinarily, he wouldn’t mind being stuck in a car with his family too much, but he usually isn’t bleeding out from a gash on his stomach spanning the entire width of his torso.

 

He’s sitting in the back seat, sweating, and actively forgetting the entire day.  He can’t remember the events that got him here because of the blinding pain overwhelming the rest of his functions.  Bozer is driving, Riley is in the passenger seat, and Jack is beside him.  The older man is holding Mac’s hand like it’s the only thing keeping him from floating away.  Those facts are the extent of his existence.

 

“Mac!  Mac, are you with me?  You stay awake, alright?  Open your eyes.  Lemmie see ‘em.”  Jack has kept a fairly consistent stream of demands for Mac to stay awake, anecdotes, and questions.  Sometimes he breaks off to tell Bozer to go faster, to which Bozer will reply that he isn’t Mac and that he’s doing his best.

 

Mac groans half-heartedly.  His head is limp and his eyes are roaming around the car aimlessly, but he can’t bring himself to look down again.  He’s afraid that his guts will have squeezed past Jack’s fingers despite his partner’s greatest efforts to keep them in.  It’s a delirious, illogical fear but it’s powerful enough to keep him limp. 

 

“Kid,” Jack says, his voice choked, “Uh, tell me- tell me a story about you and Bozer in school, why don’t you?”  Jack’s hands are covered in blood.  Mac wishes he could just...push it back in.  He’s feeling lightheaded and his heart is fluttering in his chest.  There’s not enough air, but his lungs demand oxygen, so all he can do is breathe quick and shallow breaths.  

 

Mac shakes his head, his sweaty hair sticking to his forehead, and lets out a whimper when even that much movement jars the gash.  He’s not really sure why Jack wants him to stay awake at this point.  His vision is dimming and the agony is almost too much to bear, so why isn’t he letting him go to sleep?

 

Shutting his eyes in the vain hope that Jack will leave him in peace, Mac drifts for a few seconds.  Then, the hands press down even harder on his stomach.  The pain is enough to override his exhaustion and he lets loose a guttural scream. 

 

“Bozer,” Jack yells.  “He doesn’t have much time!”

 

The engine gives a pathetic splutter, coughing some more smoke into the air, and finally turns over.  The seat underneath Mac starts to vibrate.  Sweat stings his eyes and rolls down his back; tears of pain squeeze out from the corner of his eyes.  He just wants to go to sleep in his own bed and in his own home.

 

Riley and Bozer close their respective car doors.  The car shakes, pulling a weak moan from Mac, but it’s nothing compared to the shift in pressure from Jack’s hands when they pull off the shoulder of the road.  Jack quietly apologizes and tells him to hang on.

 

Mac tries, but his grasp on reality is far too slippery.

**Author's Note:**

> I might expand on this and put an actual ending on it but...I could also leave y'alls hanging. Depends on feedback :D I just felt bad with frickin Day 9 sitting in my files. Plus, this prompt didn't really rattle my inspiration juice.


End file.
